Virginia host inaugural running of Red Tejas Challenge

Stakes racing returns to Virginia this week with the inaugural running of the Red Tejas Challenge. The race invites three year old fillies to race over seven furlongs of turf for a piece of the $35000 purse. We’ve had another fine week of weather here in Virginia, and the track will be rated as firm for the event. Six fillies have accepted the challenge, all ranked in the top 1000 in the division, looking to pick up some ranking points in what looks to be a tightly contested race. Oddsmakers are hedging their bets here, assigning a 3/2 favorite, with five of the six entries going off at 5/1 or better odds. The longshot of the bunch is at a relatively short 9/1, so noone is really out of the race here. Bettors aren’t likely to see huge payouts at the betting window, but the exotics could pay moderately well.

PP 1) Swingingwithsatan(ENG) Sired by Pivotaal(GB), Trained by fatattack. Riding the rail in this one, we have Swingingwithsatan(ENG), who enters her tenth career race here, coming into this one as the race favorite. She brings in a nearly perfect 4-4-0-0-0 record in her first nine starts, with her only stumble coming in a Grade I outing last year. She has one stakes win to her credit, coming in the prestigious DCPD Juvy Filly Turf in her final race of last season. That race also netted her top career speed of 97.8 in the mile long race. All nine of her career starts have been on turf, and she has displayed a high comfort level on the surface. This will her shortest start since last June, and she has done most of her recent racing in the mile range. She seems to prefer a stalker’s pace, but that has earned her at least a piece of the early lead in eight of her nine starts. That should be the case here, as well, shaping up to be an early duel with some early speed to her outside. By the numbers, she has the second highest average in the field, but she has been displaying the most consistency in her recent starts. With the early duel, the shorter distance here could work to her disadvantage, and she’s going to have to build her cushion late to bring this one home.

PP 2) Bythebayboy(ENG) Sired by Three Valleys, Trained by viperfour. Bythebayboy(ENG) sees action in her eleventh race here. She’s no stranger to stakes level competition, but is still lookig for her first win at this level. She’s put up a 3-3-1-2-0 record in her first ten starts, showcasing a top speed of 91.4 in her final start of her two year old season. Her first career start was on dirt, as well as against the boys, and made a switch to turf in her second start, never looking back. She has victories at distances from six through eight furlongs, and hasn’t displayed a solid preference for sprinting or miling. In four starts in this distance range, she has a win and a show, and she has never failed to collect a check. She has been running as a midpack to deep closer, but she has shown virtually no second half jump this season, more or less holding her position, but unable to threaten. She’s likely to face a fairly good sized gap at the half in this one, with the front runners likely to still have some gas in the tank. The big key for her here is to survive the early pace and stay within a reasonable striking distance as they cross the half. The energy she’ll likely need to expend to do so, though, could be her undoing late in this one.

PP 3) Hottie Wit A Body(KY) Sired by Orientate, Trained by kiddo. Hottie Wit A Body(KY) takes the gate for career start number ten in this race. She has one career stakes win, and brings a field high divisional ranking of 80 to the party here. She’s run to a 4-2-1-0-1 record in her first nine, coming off a career high 97.2 speed figure in her last start. She also started her career against the boys on dirt, but since her switch to turf in her third race, she’s never finished outside the top three in seven starts on grass. She has shown a strong sprint preference in her early career, and she has a perfect record of two wins in two starts at this distance. She runs as a midpack closer, and outside of her single route start, her close has been the picture of consistency on turf. Her optimum striking distance looks to be about three lengths out at the half, a place she could easily be in this one. She has been showing some definite signs of maturing in her two starts this season , taking her speeds to the next level. If she runs like she has in her first two this year, she could definitely be a threat late in this one. She’s a good pick for your exotic boxes at 5/1 odds.

PP 4) Anointed Prayer(KY) Sired by Storm Cat, Trained by pazjazz. Anointed Prayer(KY) steps to the track for career start number ten in this race. This will be her third try against stakes competition, and her first on turf, and she is still seeking her first win at this level. Over the course of her first nine, she’s gone 3-2-1-1-0, putting up a top speed figure of 96.4 two starts back. She has been running on dirt up until her last two starts, and while she ran passingly well, she has really appeared to blossom with the switch to turf in her last two starts. She seems to prefer a slightly shorter race, with the bulk of her success coming in the six to six and a half furlong range. She likes to run from the head of the midpack, and her close has been solid in her shorter sprints. Past six and a half, her close hasn’t been quite as strong. Her turf speed has been very good, and that could be what keeps her in contention in this one. She’s going to need to find some extra second half jump to bring it all the way home here in this longer sprint, though.

PP 5) Haack Factor(KY) Sired by Speightstown, Trained by castillete. Haack Factor(KY) will make only her seventh career start in this race, and she comes in to this one as the longshot. Three of those starts have been at stakes level, one at Grade 3, but she is still trying to post her first stakes win. Her six career starts have resulted in a 3-0-2-0-1 record, with a best speed number of 84.6 coming three starts back. All six career starts have come on the grass, and her success argues against moving her at this juncture. Most of her races have been shorter, and in one start at this distance, she turned in a solid third place finish. She runs as a deep closer, and outside of a bad bounce at Grade 3 level, where she appears to have sustained a minor injury, her close has been excellent. That would put her in a very good position with the composition of this field, but she hasn’t shown anywhere near the speed that the majority of this field has shown on a consistent basis. She’s going to have to find another gear in this one to be a factor late.

PP 6) Berzerk Beast(KY) Sired by Smart Strike, Trained by tripwire. Berzerk Beast(KY) sees action in her ninth career race here. Five of those starts have been stakes races, and she has one stakes win to her credit. Her record in her first eight is 3-2-2-0-0, with a best speed of 87.8 coming in her turf debut late last season. Her career has been an even split between dirt and turf, and she has had equal measures of success on both surfaces. She loves the distance here, and in three starts in this range, she has two wins and a place, and her two best career speeds on turf. She starts at a stalker’s pace, but she is at her best with at least a piece of the early lead. Two of her three victories have come in wire to wire fashion, and she doesn’t seem to mind an early speed duel. She should help set the pace early in this one, and she might have more speed than she’s shown so far. Her preference for this distance should hold her in good stead here. The only question is whether it will be enough to offset the speed difference with some of the competition here. She could be ready to pop off a big one, but I’ll need to see it before I can recoomend her.